U.S. patent number 6,563,295 [Application Number 09/761,683] was granted by the patent office on 2003-05-13 for low temperature coefficient reference current generator.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Dar-Chang Juang.
United States Patent |
6,563,295 |
Juang |
May 13, 2003 |
Low temperature coefficient reference current generator
Abstract
A low temperature coefficient reference current generator has a
bandgap reference voltage generator for providing a low temperature
coefficient bandgap reference voltage and a positive temperature
coefficient current. The low temperature coefficient reference
current generator utilizes the low temperature coefficient bandgap
reference voltage to drive a positive temperature coefficient
resistor disposed in an IC, so as to produce a negative temperature
coefficient current. The positive temperature coefficient current
and the negative temperature coefficient current are adjusted and
combined to produce a low temperature coefficient reference
current.
Inventors: |
Juang; Dar-Chang (Hsinchu,
TW) |
Assignee: |
Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd.
(Hsinchu, TW)
|
Family
ID: |
25062959 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/761,683 |
Filed: |
January 18, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
323/315;
327/539 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G05F
3/245 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G05F
3/24 (20060101); G05F 3/08 (20060101); G05F
003/20 () |
Field of
Search: |
;323/313,315,901,907
;327/539,513 ;330/288,297 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Riley; Shawn
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bacon & Thomas, PLLC
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A low temperature coefficient reference current generator
comprising: a bandgap reference voltage generator for providing a
low temperature coefficient bandgap reference voltage and a
positive temperature coefficient current; a voltage follower for
generating a voltage that follows the low temperature coefficient
bandgap reference voltage to drive a positive temperature
coefficient resistor, so as to produce a negative temperature
coefficient current; and a current mirror circuit for
proportionally amplifying and combining the positive temperature
coefficient current and the negative temperature coefficient
current, thereby producing a low temperature coefficient reference
current.
2. The low temperature coefficient reference current generator as
claimed in claim 1, wherein the voltage follower consists of two
MOS transistors, each having a gate connected to the gate of the
other one.
3. The low temperature coefficient reference current generator as
claimed in claim 1, wherein the positive temperature coefficient
resistor is disposed inside an IC.
4. The low temperature coefficient reference current generator as
claimed in claim 1, wherein the current mirror circuit comprising:
a first current mirror for proportionally amplifying the positive
temperature coefficient current; and a second current mirror for
proportionally amplifying the negative temperature coefficient
current.
5. The low temperature coefficient reference current generator as
claimed in claim 4, wherein the first current mirror consists of
two MOS transistors.
6. The low temperature coefficient reference current generator as
claimed in claim 4, wherein the second current mirror consists of
two MOS transistors.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a current reference circuit, and
more particularly, to a low temperature coefficient reference
current generator.
2. Description of Related Art
In the existing analog circuit design, the analog integrated
circuit (IC) usually requires a reference voltage generator and a
reference current generator for providing a bias effect, wherein
the reference voltage generator can be provided with a low
temperature coefficient by using a well-known bandgap technique.
However, in order to provide a low temperature coefficient
reference current generator, the bandgap reference voltage must be
applied to drive a resistor externally connected to the IC.
Therefore, the IC must have an additional pin for connecting to the
external resistor, which results in a difficulty in miniaturizing
the circuit.
To solve such a problem, a direct approach is to fabricate the
resistor in the IC. Unfortunately, the resistor that is fabricated
by the CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) IC
manufacturing process usually has a relatively large positive
temperature coefficient, and thus, the generated current may vary
for more than 10% due to the change of the temperature. As a
result, the resultant resistor can not meet the requirement of the
low temperature coefficient. Therefore, it is desired to have a
novel low temperature coefficient reference current generator that
is fabricated by standard CMOS IC manufacturing process, while no
external resistor is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a low temperature
coefficient reference current generator, which is almost not
influenced by the change of the temperature.
To achieve the object, the low temperature coefficient reference
current generator in accordance with the present invention includes
a bandgap reference voltage generator, a voltage follower and a
current mirror circuit. The bandgap reference voltage generator
provides a low temperature coefficient bandgap reference voltage
and a positive temperature coefficient current. The voltage
follower generates a voltage that follows the low temperature
coefficient bandgap reference voltage to drive a positive
temperature coefficient resistor, so as to produce a negative
temperature coefficient current. The current mirror circuit is
provided for proportionally amplifying and combining the positive
temperature coefficient current and the negative temperature
coefficient current, thereby producing a low temperature
coefficient reference current.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will
become more apparent from the following detailed description when
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is the detailed circuit diagram of the low temperature
coefficient reference current generator in accordance with the
present invention; and
FIG. 2 illustrates the waveforms of the currents generated by the
low temperature coefficient reference current generator in
accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the low temperature
coefficient reference current generator in accordance with the
present invention. As shown, the circuit blocks 11 and 12 are the
known startup circuit and power supply independent bias circuit,
respectively. The startup circuit 11 is provided to start the
circuit so as to prevent the circuit from being locked in a zero
voltage position. The bias circuit 12 has a sensing circuit
consisting of two BJTs (bipolar junction transistors) QP1 and QP2
for detect the change of temperature. The detected result is a
voltage .DELTA.V on the resistor R1, which has a positive
temperature coefficient. Furthermore, because of the effect of the
current mirror, we have a constant current I.sub.MP3 =.DELTA.V/R1,
where .DELTA.V=V.sub.T ln(N), I.sub.C =I.sub.S (exp(V.sub.BE
/V.sub.T)-1), N being the ratio of the number of QP2 over QP1, or
the ratio of the emitter area of QP2 over QP1, V.sub.T =KT/q, K
being the Boltzmann constant, q being the electron charge, T being
the absolute temperature, V.sub.BE being the voltage drop from the
base to emitter, I.sub.C being the collector current, I.sub.S being
the saturation leakage current. Therefore, the current I.sub.MP3 is
approximately direct proportional to the absolute temperature.
Because the voltage V.sub.BE of the BJT has a negative temperature
coefficient, a low temperature coefficient voltage generator can be
obtained by combining the detected voltage .DELTA.V, which has a
positive temperature coefficient, and the voltage V.sub.BE3 of the
transistor QP3, which has a negative temperature coefficient, where
each of the detected voltage .DELTA.V and the V.sub.BE3 of the
transistor QP3 may be proportional amplified. In this preferred
embodiment, the voltage .DELTA.V is amplified by the current mirror
consisting of transistors MP4 and MP3, and the ratio of R2/R1.
These two amplified voltage and V.sub.BE3 are added together to
have a low temperature coefficient bandgap reference voltage
V.sub.BGRO.
In order to have a low temperature coefficient reference current
generator, the above-described voltage generator circuit for
providing the low temperature coefficient bandgap reference voltage
can be utilized. Because the temperature coefficient of the voltage
V.sub.T of a BJT transistor is larger than that of a positive
temperature coefficient resistor, the current I.sub.MP3, that is
produced on the circuit path of a positive temperature coefficient
sensing circuit formed by the MOS transistor MN5, resistor R1 and
BJT transistor QP2, is provided with a positive temperature
coefficient. With reference to FIG. 2, the characteristic of the
I.sub.MP3 is represented by the curve (A), which has a variation of
0.about.+14.1% over the temperature range of -25.degree.
C..about.+75.degree. C.
Furthermore, the circuit is provided with a voltage follower
consisting of two MOS transistors MN6 and MN7, each having a gate
connected to the gate of the other one. The low temperature
coefficient bandgap reference voltage V.sub.BGRO is applied to the
voltage follower to generate a followed voltage for driving a
positive temperature coefficient resistor R3 that is disposed
inside an IC. Such a positive temperature coefficient resistor may
be a P+, N+, poly-, or well- resistor. Due to the positive
temperature coefficient of the resistor R3, a negative temperature
coefficient current I.sub.MP5 is produced. With reference to FIG.
2, the characteristic of the I.sub.MP5 is represented by the curve
(B), which has a variation of 0.about.20%. over the temperature
range of -25.degree. C..about.+75.degree. C.
The positive temperature coefficient current I.sub.MP3 is amplified
by a current mirror consisting of MOS transistors MP7 and MP3, so
as to obtain a positive temperature coefficient current I.sub.R1.
The negative temperature coefficient current I.sub.MP5 is amplified
by a current mirror consisting of MOS transistors MP6 and MP5, so
as to obtain a negative temperature coefficient current I.sub.R2.
Herein, the amplification ratio is determined by the width to
length ratio (W/L) and the number (M) of the MOS transistor. In
this preferred embodiment, we have I.sub.R1 =((36/4)/(24/4))*
I.sub.MP3 =1.5 *I.sub.MP3 and I.sub.R2 =(24/4)/((24/4)*5)*
I.sub.MP5 =0.2* I.sub.MP5. Therefore, by proportionally amplifying
and combining the two currents I.sub.MP3 and I.sub.MP5, a desired
low temperature coefficient current source I.sub.OUT is obtained,
where I.sub.OUT =I.sub.R1 +I.sub.R2 =K*I.sub.MP5 +L* I.sub.MP3, K
and L being ratio constant. With reference to FIG. 2, the
characteristic of the current I.sub.OUT is represented by the curve
(C), which only has a variation of 0.about.1.4% over the
temperature range of -25.degree. C. -75.degree. C. Accordingly, a
low temperature coefficient reference current generator that is
almost not influenced by the change of the temperature is
achieved.
Although the present invention has been explained in relation to
its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other
possible modifications and variations can be made without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter
claimed.
* * * * *